October

Alvernia Writers' Series & Awilda I. Castro Suarez

About the Event

The Alvernia Writers’ Series is an open forum for the presentation of authentic creative works. Now in its seventh year under the auspices of Dr. Tom Bierowski, the Alvernia Writers’ Series welcomes any and all participants and hopes to keep the Bohemian spirit of personal artistic expression alive and kicking on campus.

The Writers’ Series meets one Friday per month at 2:00 p.m. in the Dr. Frank A. Franco Library. For more information contact Dr. Tom Bierowski at thomas.bierowski@alvernia.edu.

About the Guest Poet

Awilda I. Castro Suarez is a writer and translator. Born and raised in Puerto Rico she has a Bachelor’s degree in public communication from the University of Puerto Rico and a Master’s degree in Spanish journalism from Florida International University. She lives in Reading, Pennsylvania.

Castro Suarez has been published in numerous magazines, such has Off the Coast, Mad Poets, Philadelphia Poets and in books anthologies. Her poem, “Nostalgia at Pennsylvania Dutch Country” won the Editor’s Choice in the Sixth Annual Amy Tritsch Needle Award given by the Philadelphia Poets. She is an active member of Berks Bards, organizes writing workshops for different community groups and hosts poetry readings. She has published a book of poetry about immigration titled, Loneliness Country. Castro Suarez is also working on her first novel.

Location: Our residential campus is situated three miles
from center-city Reading, in the scenic Blue Mountain area of Eastern
Pennsylvania.

Enrollment: 3,000 students attend Alvernia including 1,500
traditional undergraduates, 600 continuing education students, and 780
graduate students. Over 77% of first-year students live on campus.

Faculty: Our professors are accomplished scholars, experts in their fields, and supportive mentors. The student-to-faculty ratio is 14:1. Most classes are 20 students or fewer.

Athletics: NCAA Division III, member of the Commonwealth
Conference of the Middle Atlantic States Athletic Corporation and
member of Eastern College Athletic Conference, 8 men’s and 10 women’s
intercollegiate sports.